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What to tell your loved one when they can’t afford health insurance

February 24, 2016 By Kay Walker

Many people with depression are unable to work. If you live in the U.S. this can be especially problematic because it can affect their ability to receive health insurance coverage. So, if you see your depression love one is having difficulty with their health because they can’t afford medication or treatment you can help by sharing this article with them. Below are some things they can do:

What to do when you can’t afford health insurance and you’re depressed

Search for sliding scale therapists. Many therapists offer what’s called a sliding scale fee, which means you pay a rate per therapy session that is based on your income level. This could be as little as $20 per session. It’s helpful for you and for them. Many therapists don’t like to have to turn away business to those who need it most. They realize the truth of the market they’re in, that many people with mental illness cannot afford therapy.

Look into federally funded programs. In many states there are federally run programs. For many of them you can participate by a pay by donation fee of what you can afford. To find a center near you visit: http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

Seek out local organizations and crisis resource centers. Your city or state may have crisis organizations and centers that help community members dealing with many issues, including mental illness. In many areas you can access one of these centers simply by dialing 211.

Look into patient-assistance programs provided by pharmaceutical companies.If you’ve been to a doctor and have been prescribed a medication that you can’t afford you can see if the pharmaceutical company that manufactures your offers a patient-assistance payment program. If you need prescription assistance visitPartnership for Patient Assistance for more information.

Are you eligible for Medicaid coverage? If you are a U.S. citizen with a low income or a disability you may be able to apply for Medicaid and CHIP. They provide free or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans, this includes people with mental health issues. Programs are run by federal and state governments together so the details vary between states.

Use the free immediate help features on this site. ReadThisBeforeYouKillYourself.com has a suite of free and low-cost resources specifically created for people suffering from depression, mental health issues and who may be considering suicide. You can use the Ask an Expert feature to send an anonymous question to a team of healthcare experts, or take the 7-day Feel Better Now program that will teach you tactics for immediate pain relief.

Use Quora. Have a question for an health care expert? You can also use Quora to post an inquiry and get it answered by many professionals. They can help point in the right direction.

Participate in clinical trials. It may not sound ideal but participating in a clinical trial can be a free way to get the therapy and drugs that may be able to help you. There are many research studies being conducted across the country and many are at the forefront of the latest therapies for treating mental health.

Appoint a health advocate. As you read through this list of options you may feel overwhelmed and exhausted by everything you need to do. Appoint someone in your life to help you navigate the healthcare system. This person can do all the research and find the resources for you, when you can’t do it yourself.

Don’t give up. No matter how alone you feel, there are thousands of people who want to know about what you are dealing with and who are waiting to help you. Sometimes acknowledging that you don’t know what to do and asking people in your life to help you will give you the support you need to succeed.

Need help now? Use the Ask an Expert. Let us know what you need by providing us with a question and the details of your situation. It’s anonymous and you’ll get a response within 24 hours.

Antidepressants: Should your loved one take them?

February 24, 2016 By Kay Walker

Read this article to understand the struggles that coming with considering taking antidepressant medications. Share it with your loved one. It may help them decide what to do.

Hair loss. Fatigue. Increased thoughts of suicide. Tremors. Weight gain. These are some of the side effects you’ll read on pamphlets that come with antidepressants. It likely won’t make you feel good about taking them.

There are many proponents for antidepressants. And there are some who believe that you can live with herbal supplements. Some depression sufferers succeed in overcoming the disorder without them. Then there are people who need to take antidepressants to live their life.

The truth is: Everyone is different. Every case of depression is different. So, finding what works for you takes a lot of discovery, a lot of trial, and eventually the more you try the more you get close to finding out what works.

And that may mean, going through months of trying medications that don’t work and make you feel worse. It’s sadly part of the process. Until there is a research breakthrough that improves treatment for depression, this is the reality about the tools we have to deal with it.

Antidepressants: Should you take them?

It’s your choice. But consider these facts:

Taking antidepressants is your choice. Though, sometimes you need to make this choice even if you don’t want to. If you are not improving on natural remedies and by taking what is considered “healthy actions” (see articles on health minimums) then you should probably opt to try an antidepressant.

Here are some points to consider:

You may only need them temporarily.If you go on an antidepressant you can always choose to go off. Even later in life, if you feel well, are under a doctor’s care, once you get stable in other areas, you can try to go without them.
Never mess with what the doctor prescribes. Antidepressants target your brain and go off them suddenly, even if you are not finding them helpful, can make you worse.
They might be the only thing that helps you. You’ll know this if you are taking all the healthy actions and your mood isn’t improving.
One in 10 Americans take antidepressants. This means, that a lot of people find them useful and effective. It’s a large number so on the flip side, it’s been suggested by experts in the medical community that we are treated versus curing the issue.
When you have a cold you take cold medicine. Depression is the same. The issues arise in your brain, the difference is you can’t see depression.
Your brain could be missing a chemical it requires to function properly. So you are not putting something synthetic, you are giving your body what it requires.
Antidepressant medications can be expensive. They’ll need to be factored into your budget. Depending on your treatment plan and insurance options you’ll likely spend anywhere from $0 – $350 per month.

Why your loved one needs a second opinion

February 24, 2016 By Kay Walker

Here is one of the most valuable pieces of information when it comes to mental health diagnosis for your loved one: Make sure they get a second opinion.

Or a third. Or forth. Really. Have them get as many as they can. The more they get, the more expert evidence they can collect as to what is the real issue.

As a patient or someone who is helping someone with depression it’s important to always remain aware.

Don’t believe what their family doctor says because they have the “almighty powers” that come with the allowance to put the letters M.D. after their name. While they are more knowledgeable than you on the topic of medicine, they are still human.

And humans make mistakes. Even doctors. They have bad days and can miss important aspects of your diagnosis.

They also have different life experiences, which may make give them different ideas about your diagnosis. A doctor who just treated a patient with the rare condition, may consider that as possible condition for you. While a doctor who learned about it once in med school, won’t even think about it.

Why you should always get a second opinion

The problem with mental health diagnosis and perception:

If you break your leg your doctor will take an x ray, show you the evidence, and put your leg in a cast. That’s not like mental health diagnosis. The evidence medical professionals have to go on is a set of behaviors that can’t be represented physically. Their evaluations are based on symptoms that you tell them you have, and personal accounts. Sometimes the accounts involve your family members and friends but those stories have different people with different experience different life and different perceptions.

Some doctors will be smart enough to take that into account. Some won’t. It can be a problem. So, what you need to do is be aware of the humans frame stories. This includes yourself.

Consider how you’ve been relating to or thinking about your loved one’s conditions? Is what you think of them getting in the way of how you see them and related to them?